My last message to Daltaí for the foreseeable future:

I'm done with this site for the time being. This board has turned nasty. I have no intention to try to comment here only to be constantly ridiculed or attacked in response.

I have been at this site since 1999 or 2000, if my memory serves me right. For many years it was a very pleasant community for people interested in Irish, but during the last year it has turned rather ugly. Judging by the responses here, being academic (or should I say "snob") is a very bad thing. Not being a native speaker of English is also a bad thing, since trying to give pronunciations in any other form than English immediately leads to angry responses. Those of us who don't know how to give pronunciations in language that is foreign to us should better shut up. That is what I will do from now on.

It is with a somewhat heavy heart I leave this site, but only because I remember how it was before.

I think you should stay Jonas, because I have liked reading your postings. It doesnt matter wheter you are the best speaker of english or the worst, if people get what your trying to say then you are entitled to your opionion. As Bono said **** THE BEGRUDGERS. Write on.

Jonas Please dont leave I have learned so much from you
and i consider you a friend, tho we have not met. "don't let the basterds bring you down"

Perhaps I should make some things clear before I go

- I am NOT leaving because of the comments posted by James. The reason is the deteriorating discussion climate here in general. It used to be friendly and relaxed, now it is full of accusations, arguments, name-calling and insults. I used to be in a good mood after visiting Daltaí, but not any longer. James' comments today are only a few of many similar the last months.

- I have always considered James a friend on this forum. His posts today were over the top, but that can happen to anyone. Perhaps he misinterpreted my suggestion that the sound-files in the guideline for pronunciations should be looked over so that they agree with correct Irish pronunciation. Whatever the circumstances, I still consider James a good friend here, and a valuable member of this forum.

- On second thought, I've decided to only leave the English forum on Daltaí and concentrate on the forum here in Irish. It is still free from all the bad feelings in the English forum. Besides, I first came here just to use my Irish and I will enjoy going back to doing only that here.

- I'm not leaving the English forum forever, I'm just taking a time-out. If the discussion climate becomes what it once was, I will be glad to start posting again.

- Dan and Breacban, I am very glad that there are people here who have enjoyed my posts. I hope to see you in the Irish language forum here on Daltaí.

Likewise, I have enjoyed your posts. Perhaps you got caught in the "burst radius" of my most recent tirade. Your English is so good, I sometimes forget that it is not your native language. That is my error.


Oddly, I had the same thought as you, Jonas. I'm going to spend more time in the Irish only forum. I don't have nearly enough Irish to participate on that side of this forum but I feel I can learn more there simply by reading and watching. I have ceased studying and learning Irish as of late. Perhaps there I can re-focus.

I agree that this has deteriorated from the site it once was. Sadly, I am probably a source of that deteriroration. In the interest of preserving this site and my sanity, I will take a bit of a sabbatical as well.

This once was a great site. It will become one again, I'm certain. But, for now, I feel I have become more a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution.